BAA Scotland supports its communities through a programme of national and local events.

In 2007 our airports in Scotland supported 63 community projects to the value of more than £105,000. In addition more than 100 staff volunteered 2,266 hours with a value in excess of £34,500. In kind contributions such as meeting room hire, catering and charitable gifts amounted to more than £8,000.

We are committed to helping young people develop key skills to build satisfying and rewarding careers which add to the country's prosperity.
 
We continue to offer a dedicated educational website ‘Take Off and Learn’ for teachers and students. This provides a learning resource including activity sheets, literacy games and an interactive resource for IT students. During 2007 we distributed free CDs to local primary schools and feedback from pupils and teachers was extremely positive. Visit www.baa.com/learn for more details.

At a national level, BAA Scotland worked closely with the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) to develop its Outreach Project, with a programme of events involving socially excluded young people. First launched in 2006, the Outreach Project provides young people with a wide range of essential skills as they carry out restoration and environmental projects at nominated NTS properties. Several events were held throughout the year around the immediate airport communities.

BAA Scotland is also a major sponsor of the SCDI (Scottish Council for Development and Industry) Young Engineer Clubs, which encourage students from schools and colleges to develop their interest in engineering.

In addition, BAA’s three Scottish airports carry out a range of local community activities:

Edinburgh airport
The Edinburgh Airport Community Fund supported more than 30 community based projects. The airport’s flagship project, the annual Youth Games, recorded the largest ever number of participants in 2007, with 1,500 children from over 40 local schools competing in a range of events.

The fund also supported the Cramond Corner Project, an initiative to provide new facilities for young people to the north east of the airport. 

The airport also built on its close working relationship with Lothian & Borders Police, when the two united to deliver 'Blue Light West Edinburgh', a project that aims to tackle anti-social behaviour among young people, and 'Playsafe', which teaches young children about the importance of staying safe in their everyday lives. The growing relationship between Edinburgh Airport and the Edinburgh Greenspace Trust was further strengthened with an investment for improved park facilities near Ratho Station.

Glasgow airport
Glasgow Airport works closely with Drumchapel High School on the ‘Closing the Gap’ initiative, whereby local businesses help provide opportunities for youngsters to gain work training skills. The BAA Scotland Outreach Project provided opportunities for 25 local young people to work on Ben Lomond and gain a fuller understanding of their local environment. The airport has also provided mentors who offer practical support and guidance on work related issues. For example, a group of Modern Studies pupils – examining the subject of terrorism - visited the airport to hear at first hand how staff responded to the attack of 30 June 2007.

Aberdeen airport
Staff at Aberdeen Airport supported a variety of fundraising initiatives throughout 2007, including one campaign to raise funds to send a local five year old boy with autism to the Son-Rise centre in Boston for specialist treatment. The campaign was led by Solutions Deliver Manager, Malcolm Brown, a long term volunteer for Children with Autism, and the fundraising effort saw staff get on their bikes to raise an initial £1,500 towards the £20,000 target. The next challenge will see staff take on Britain’s highest peak, Ben Nevis.

Aberdeen Airport Fire Service and Falck Nutec have become one of the north-east's leaders in providing training for onshore and offshore businesses, delivering realistic scenario training within a safe and controlled environment. Services include fire training, first aid treatment and helicopter escape techniques. A new DVD filmed on location at the airport's fire ground has proved invaluable in raising fire risk awareness.